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u.s. news Dialuna 24 Mei 2021

Floyd killing prompts some states to limit or ban chokeholds

(AP) - Democratic Rep. islation to ban or restrict the unsafe,” Hollins said at the til the Floyd killing that the chokeholds, the laws address
Leslie Herod had no luck practice, according to data time. “That’s why you’re see- New York Legislature passed police-worn body cameras;
persuading her colleagues provided to The Associated ing the protests. They are in a bill to effectively ban police disciplinary and personnel
in the Colorado Legisla- Press by the National Con- fear of their lives. This bill use of chokeholds and make records; independent inves-
ture to ban police from ference of State Legislatures. sends a very powerful mes- it a felony. tigations of officer conduct;
using chokeholds after Before Floyd was killed, only sage as legislators saying, ‘We use of force restrictions;
the death of a 23-year-old two states, Tennessee and Il- hear you, and we’re going to The lawmaker who pushed qualified immunity; and no-
Black man in suburban linois, had bans on police do something about it.’” the ban said a similar bill in- knock warrants.
Aurora in 2019. hold techniques that restrict troduced in 2014, shortly af-
the airway or blood flow to Many of the new laws include ter Garner died, failed to gain At least 13 states enacted re-
She couldn’t gather enough the brain when pressure is criminal penalties for officers traction. strictions on officer use-of-
support to even introduce applied to the neck. if a chokehold or neck re- force and at least eight have
a police reform bill that in- straint leads to death or in- “When I came to the Sen- implemented laws beefing up
cluded a ban. That changed A majority of the bans en- jury, unless they can show it ate, I came looking for this officer reviews and investiga-
when George Floyd died af- acted over the past year are was necessary to protect their bill,” state Sen. Brian Ben- tions, according to the NCSL
ter being pinned under the in states controlled politically life or someone else’s. In Ver- jamin said of the legisla- data.
knee of a Minneapolis police by Democrats, as Colorado mont, officers can face up to tion he introduced in 2019.
officer and the video set off a is. They include California, 20 years in prison and a fine “But it wasn’t until George While the Floyd killing
summer of protests over po- Illinois, Nevada, Oregon and of up to $50,000. Floyd’s murder occurred that prompted reforms in many
lice killings and racial injus- Virginia, among others. the nationwide, global en- states, legislatures elsewhere
tice. Those consequences are im- ergy around ‘We’ve got to do took no action or went the
This past week, Washington portant to gain compliance, something,’ really changed other direction and gave po-
Within a month of Floyd’s Gov. Jay Inslee signed a broad said Lorenzo Boyd, director the dynamics in New York.” lice even more authority. City
death, Colorado lawmak- legislative package that will of the Center for Advanced When asked to speculate why police and county sheriff’s
ers took the step they had implement numerous police Policing at the University of the Legislature didn’t act af- departments also have wide
avoided after the death of Eli- accountability and reform New Haven in Connecticut. ter the Garner death, Benja- leeway to set many of their
jah McClain and approved a measures, including an out- “If we say chokeholds are min said there was room for own rules, including around
ban on chokeholds as part of right ban on chokeholds and prohibited, police will still detractors to give the officer use-of-force.
broader police reform legisla- neck restraints. use chokeholds,” he said. the benefit of the doubt. He
tion. The law overrode more “If we say, ‘Chokeholds are said what happened in Min- A number of large cit-
limited chokehold restric- The efforts also have gener- now felonies and if you use a neapolis was different. ies and police departments
tions that were put in place ated support among some chokehold we can now pros- banned or restricted the use
four years earlier. Republicans. Bans or restric- ecute you,’ I think that would “With the Floyd video, of chokeholds even before
tions have been signed into change the narrative.” there’s absolutely no wiggle Floyd was killed. But officers
“Making it clear that is com- law by GOP governors in room of any kind around the still employed the technique
pletely banned in all circum- Massachusetts and Vermont, Floyd’s death was not the evilness of what was happen- and used it disproportion-
stances has the potential to which have Democratic leg- first police case involving a ing there,” he said. ately against Black men, said
save lives,” said Herod, who islatures, and have passed in neck restraint to capture wide Paul Weber, a former federal
is Black. fully Republican-controlled public attention. The legislation related to prosecutor and author of the
states such as Indiana, Iowa chokeholds and neck re- book, “Chokehold: Policing
Colorado is among several and Utah. In 2014, a New York City po- straints is part of a broader ef- Black Men.”
states to prohibit or severely lice officer put Eric Garner in fort in many states to address
limit the use of chokeholds Just a month after Floyd’s what appeared to be a choke- police procedures, training “Even in jurisdictions where
and neck restraints by police death, Utah lawmakers voted hold while arresting him on and discipline since Floyd’s restraints and chokeholds are
officers in the year since the to ban knee-to-neck choke- suspicion of illegally selling death. banned, as a practical mat-
world watched Floyd plead holds, though the legislation cigarettes on Staten Island. ter there’s no consequence
for air as he was pinned un- stopped short of a ban on all On amateur video, Garner Since May 2020, at least 67 when officers engage in those
der the knee of former of- types of neck restraints. The can be heard saying “I can’t police reforms have been bad practices,” Weber said. “A
ficer Derek Chauvin, who bill was sponsored by Demo- breathe.” signed into law in 25 states statewide ban would apply
was convicted of murder and cratic Rep. Sandra Hollins, related to specific topics to more departments -- but
manslaughter last month. the only Black member of While the city had previ- the National Conference of again, the policies aren’t go-
the Utah Legislature. ously banned chokeholds, no State Legislatures analyzed ing to be more effective than
At least 17 states, including statewide legislation followed at the AP’s request. In addi- the enforcement.”
Minnesota, have enacted leg- “Our community is feeling Garner’s death. It wasn’t un- tion to neck restraints and

2 dead, 12 injured in shooting at New Jersey house party

(AP) — A family house of all ages. heard music from the party phy offered his support and Murphy said in a statement.
party in South Jersey New Jersey State police said a until after midnight, then a help. “No community should ever
turned into a crime scene 30-year-old man and 25-year- series of shots — at least 15 experience what occurred last
where at least two people old-woman were fatally shot. of them over a few minutes. “Nobody knows when some- night in Fairfield.”
were fatally shot and 12 There were 12 other people one’s going to come out of
others were wounded, who were injured and trans- Joeron Pierce and James the woods with a gun,” Byrd WPVI-TV reported that the
state police said. ported to local hospitals. Pierce, who live in homes said. He did not have any de- reverend of a nearby church
next to each other, said that tails about the shooting. heard the gunfire.
Authorities arrived at the No arrests have been made. there was chaos after that. “I just started hearing at first
house in Fairfield Town- Partygoers ran through their Murphy called the shooting what I thought was fireworks,
ship, about an hour outside Photos show overturned yards and asked to come into “horrific.” it was really gunshots, and I
of Philadelphia, late Saturday pop-up party tents, tables and their houses. They said cars heard nine in rapid succes-
night. A resident who runs a chairs, and debris through- ran into one other trying to “This despicable and cow- sion,” said the Rev. Michael
local anti-violence organiza- out the home’s yard. A long speed away. ardly act of gun violence only Keene of the Trinity AME
tion said he was called out driveway was still filled with steels our commitment to Church.
to assist families at the 90s- cars late Sunday morning. Fairfield Township Mayor ensuring New Jersey leads
themed party. John Fuqua, of Benjamin Byrd Sr., who was the nation in passing and Messages seeking additional
Life Worth Living, said guests Two cousins who live in the at the scene Sunday, said that enforcing strong and com- information have been left
who attended the party were area of the shooting said they New Jersey Gov. Phil Mur- monsense gun safety laws,” with multiple organizations.